Gavinsblog.com

Category: Georgia

  • That Bush connection

    Josh Keating over on FP gives us the top 10 stories you might have missed in 2008. I particularly like this one: So why was $176 million of the aid money earmarked for loans to businesses—including $30 million to a real estate developer for a luxury hotel: the 127,000-square-meter Park Hyatt in downtown Tbilisi, an…

  • Nakalakevi, Georgia

    I visited the ruins at Nakalakevi (Nokakalevi, ნოქალაქევი) in Georgia for only a brief time. You can read a history of the city here. Some interesting notes about the city: 1200 BC: Jason and the Argonauts’ mythical journey to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece Beginning 1st BC to end of 3rd AD Sparse evidence…

  • The troublesome Caucasus

    As ever, the Economist has an excellent analysis of the situation in the Caucasus. They mention many of the strategic and historical interests in the region that I heard directly from Georgians themselves. The situation is extremely complex, and via translator it was explained to me over several days. The map they use is extremely…

  • Russian consulate, Tbilisi

    I visited the former Russian Embassy (it was reduced to a consulate while I was there) in Tbilisi a couple of weeks ago. Across the street, boards are littered with anti-Russian grafitti, while directly outside the consulate people had dumped various forms of household waste and litter. Russia pulled their ambassador, Vyacheslav Kovalenko, and pretty…

  • Saakashvili's Camp David – Borjomi

    Don’t ask me how I got access. When I was in Borjormi I managed to get into the grounds of the summer residence of the Georgian president, Mikhail Saakasvhili. The house was formerly occupied by Eduard Shevardnadze, and before Soviet times it was a Dacha of Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanov Dynasty. The residence…

  • On Digg

    My post on the Georgian Navy has been dugg… please go digg it if you like it. 🙂

  • Russian advances into Georgia

    I did a quick sketch of how far Russian forces advanced into Georgia during the war. It was not widely reported that Russian armour went as far south as Borjormi. Several witnesses told me this happened. Apparently the Russian forces reached the outskirts of the town and said they had made a mistake, they then…

  • What happened to the Georgian navy?

    Ever since the August war in Georgia, various stories have circulated via many media outlets about what exactly happened the Georgian navy. Danger Room provided extensive coverage and links about the stories circulating. It included the blog post, Inside the battle for the Black Sea. Many blogs have covered the story, as have forums. Many…

  • Alaverdi

    I managed to grab this picture inside the 11th century cathedral at Alaverdi. Some people were getting married so I took a chance. There’s nothing I can add. It was like being transported back in time. There’s another of the dome here.

  • Gori tank base bombed by Russia

    Well my time in Georgia is over, and now it’s on to Oktoberfest. I hope the upload the bulk of my photos there, but I have already uploaded an initial set to Flickr. In it I was allowed access to the Georgian tank base in Gori, bombed by Russian forces. In the hills behind the…